Agatha Sangma to oppose CAB in Parliament

SHILLONG, Dec 8 (HS): The National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) has decided to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). The alliance has also approached the Lok Sabha MP from Tura, Agatha K Sangma to raise their voice of opposition in Parliament. It will also seek the support of Shillong MP, Vincent H Pala of congress party, on this issue.

At the same time the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organization (CoMSO) has appealed to all the Members of Parliament (MPs) from the state (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) to oppose the passing of the CAB.

“We (MDA) will again write a letter to the Government of India that we oppose the CAB. We have also approached Agatha K Sangma our MP of the MDA from the state to take up the issue from our side in the Parliament, and we will also request our MP from congress party to support our unhappiness in as far as the CAB is concerned,” Meghalaya deputy chief minister, Prestone Tynsong said after the MDA coordination committee meeting on CAB in Shillong.

Tynsong told reporters that the meeting discussed the CAB issue and after detailed deliberation, it was decided not to accept the Bill as it will be implemented in some places that are outside the Schedule Areas of the state.

He said that during the meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on November 30, it was conveyed that the CAB would not be implemented in ILP and Sixth Schedule states.

“If the Bill can be exempted in 96 per cent areas of the state, why not exempt the whole state from the applicability of the CAB?” Tynsong argued.

Cutting short on her honeymoon, National People’s Party (NPP) MP from Tura, Agatha Sangma rushed back to the Parliament as the contentious CAB is scheduled to come up in Lok Sabha soon.

According to reports, Agatha Sangma, who tied her nuptial knot on November 21 with Patrick Rongma Marak, returned to Lok Sabha debate on Wednesday as she felt that her presence was important in the Parliament. Tura reached Delhi to attend CAB-related debates and to take an active part on the issue in the Parliament.

“She might skip going to the Parliament on the day of voting,” sources said. In fact the BJP is part of the Meghalaya’s MDA government led by the National People’s Party (NPP).

Along with rest of the North East, anti-CAB movement is gaining momentum in Meghalaya too. Although nearly 96 per percent of its area will be free from CAB purview as it falls under Sixth Schedule area, yet several pressure groups are protesting against the Bill.

The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organization (CoMSO) has decided to hold an agitation on December 9 to demand the BJP-led NDA Government to scrap the Citizenship Amendment Bill and threatened to move the Supreme Court to challenge the CAB if the Centre fails to respect the sentiments of the people of the North Eastern region.

“We will be holding an agitation to impress upon the NDA to scrap the CAB, 2019. We are demanding for scrapping of the CAB since the Centre has partially exempted the state from the purview of this legislation,” CoMSO chairman, Robertjune Kharjahrin told reporters in Shillong.

They appealed to all the Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to oppose the passing of the CAB saying that the BJP led Government at the Centre should not re-introduce the bill in the Parliament.